Shopping and money in Basque
94 words Basque words on the topic “shopping and money”: zenbat balio du? — how much is it?, euroa — euro, denda — shop, azoka — market. 94 words can be played from recordings.
94 words on the topic
- zenbat balio du?how much is it?Literally 'how much does it value?'. For several things the verb agrees with the goods: zenbat balio dute?
- euroaeuroEuro + the article. After a number the article vanishes: bi euro — two euros, not euroak
- dendashopA native word, not the Spanish tienda. Denda txiki — a little shop: the country is fond of those
- azokamarketA covered market, a native word. Merkatua is from Spanish: both are in use, azoka is the people's one
- mahai-langamarket counterLiterally 'table-board': mahaia 'table' + langa 'plank'. The market counter is built that way in the very language
- saltzaileasellerFrom saldu — 'to sell': saltzaile is 'the selling one'. A woman seller is also saltzailea: Basque doesn't mark gender
- erosleabuyerFrom erosi — 'to buy': erosle is 'the buying one'. Buyers together are erosleak
- pisuascaleFrom pisatu — 'to weigh'. The same word means 'pressure': atmosfera-pisua — atmospheric pressure
- kiloakilogramThe short form of kilogramo. Ordered without the article: kilo bat laranja — a kilogram of oranges
- erdiahalfErdi kilo — half a kilo; the same word means 'middle': heren erdia — the middle of the way
- freskoafreshWith the article: fresko+a. Arrain freskoa — fresh fish — is shouted across the market every morning
- helduaripeFrom heldu — 'to ripen': the same word means 'to reach' and 'adult'. Fruit ripens, a person grows up — one verb for both
- etiketaprice tagRelated to the 'label'. Prezio-etiketa is the full-strength price tag; on the shelf, simply etiketa
- garestiaexpensiveWith the article. Garestiegia da — it's too expensive: boosted with -tiegi
- merkeacheapNot from Spanish barato — from the traders' Latin merke. The pair garestia/merkea is the first thing in any shop
- deskontuadiscountFrom deskontatu — 'to deduct'. Hamar ehunekoko deskontua — a ten percent discount
- kambioachange (money)It came from Spanish cambio — 'exchange': change here is 'the exchange'. Kambioa eman dizute? — did they give you the change?
- efektiboakcashOnly in the plural, from Spanish efectivo. The cashier's question: Metalez ala txartelaz? — but they'll also say efektiboz?
- banku-txartelabank cardLiterally 'bank-card': banku + txartel. Txartela alone is both a ticket and a card: context splits them
- tiketareceiptA borrowing, like the English 'ticket'. The same word is the little ticket at a concert
- Zenbat da?how much do I owe?Literally 'how much is it?'. A relative of Zenbat balio du? from the basics — both ask the price
- Garestia da.it's expensiveAssembled from garestia and da — 'is'. To boost it: garestiegia da — too expensive
- Merkeago?cheaper?Merkeago — 'cheaper': the comparative suffix -ago does all the work. Haggling at a Basque market is normal
- Erosten dut.I'll take itFrom erosi — 'to buy': erosten dut — 'I buy it', through the auxiliary verb. The phrase of decision at the counter
- Ez dut behar.I don't need itLiterally 'I don't have need': behar — 'need', dut — 'I have'. A polite, short refusal
- Beste bat, mesedez.another oneLiterally 'other one': beste — 'other', bat — 'one'. At the market they say it pointing at the crate
- nahikoaenoughA word-gesture: Nahikoa! — 'enough!'. The second sense is 'quite': nahikoa ona da — quite good
- guztirain totalFrom guzti — 'all': 'all together' is exactly 'in total'. The cashier ends with it: Hiru euro guztira
- supermerkatuasupermarketA borrowing, as elsewhere. The small shop around the corner is denda txikia — the country is fond of those
- saskiabasketThe woven market basket and the supermarket basket are one word. Basket-weaving is saskigintza, an old craft
- ilaraqueueThe same word means 'row' and 'line'. Ilaran egon — to stand in line, literally 'to be in the row'
- kutxatilatillBoth the till and the drawer: kutxatila bat — a chest drawer. The ATM takes the same word: kutxatila automatikoa
- poltsabagBoth a handbag and a plastic bag: poltsa plastikoa. They ask: Poltsarik nahi? — 'want a bag?'
- irekitaopenThe form 'being open': the door 'finds itself open'. The signs on the door, Irekita / Itxita, are worth learning before anything else
- itxitaclosedFrom itxi — 'to close'. It differs from irekita by one letter — look closely
- aukeratuchooseAukera — 'choice', aukeratu — 'to choose': the name made from the verb
- neurriasizeFrom neurtu — 'to measure'. On a clothes label the size is neurria; on shoes, the same
- gehiagomorePartner of gutxiago. Gehiago nahi dut — I want more: an adverb on its own, no comparing verb needed
- gutxiagolessFrom gutxi — 'little'. Gutxiago gatza, mesedez — less salt, they say through the market glass
- pisutsaheavyFrom pisu — 'weight': weighty. The same word gives a 'weighty argument'
- arinalightweightPartner of pisutsa. The same word about food: afari arina — a light dinner
- berrianewWith the article. Berriro — 'again', literally 'newly': one family
- zaharraoldSA-RA with a trill. About a person they say zaharra too — politer is adiruduna, 'of age'
- apurtutabrokenFrom apurtu — 'to break': 'glass — broken' is written Beira apurtuta on containers
- ikusiseeA native word: to see. Perception is 'had': ikusi dut — I saw it. From it, berrikusi — 'to review material': to 'look again'
- entzunhearA native word: to hear (and to obey). Partner of ikusi: the eyes see, the ears 'have' — entzun dut. From it, entzungailuak — 'headphones'
- lo eginto sleepLiterally 'to do sleep': lo — 'sleep' + egin — 'to do'. Sleeping here is 'occupying oneself with sleep': gauean lo egiten dut
- eramancarryA native word: to carry and to take somewhere in one. Where to takes the dative or -ra: etxera eraman dut — I took it home
- jarriset (upright)The same word as 'put down' — context splits them: setting here is standing a thing in its place. Present: jartzen dut
- apurtubreakA native word: to break and to tear. You know apurtuta — 'broken' and kontratua apurtu — 'to tear up the contract'
- eraikibuildThe same word as 'erect' — context splits them: building here is with your own hands, a house or a garage. From it, eraikitzailea — 'builder'
- berotuto heat upThe same word as 'warm up' — context splits them: heating here is what the source does. From it, berokailuak — 'radiators'
- askomanyA native word: many. It follows the noun: jende asko — many people. Partner of gutxi — 'few'. Related: askotan — 'often'
- gutxifewA native word: few, little. Partner of asko — 'many'. You know gutxiago — 'less' and gutxitan — 'rarely'
- hauthisThe near demonstrative: what's in my hands. A row of steps: hau — this, hori — that (by you), hura — that (over there). Alone it also means 'this one'
- horithatThe middle demonstrative: what's by the person you talk to or in view. Partner of hau — 'this'; the far one is hura, 'he' and 'that' from the basics
- halakoathat kindFrom hala — 'so': such here is 'of that kind'. Partner of horrelakoa — 'like this one': halakoa looks to the far model
- besteathe otherFrom beste — 'other' + the article. You know beste bat — 'another one' and beste aldean — 'on the other side'
- zeintzukwhich onesThe plural of zein — 'which': which exactly out of several. Zeintzuk nahi dituzu? — which ones do you want? The singular is zein
- inolakoanone whatsoeverLiterally 'of no kind'. Lives with a negation: inolako arazorik ez dago — there is no problem whatsoever
- norbaitsomebodyThe same word as 'someone' — context splits them: somebody here is concrete but unknown. From nor — 'who' + bait
- zeozersomething (unnamed)The same word as 'anything' — context splits them: something here is what they talk about without naming. From zer — 'what'
- inork eznobodyLiterally 'by-anyone not': inor — 'anyone' + -k, the doer's tail. Inork ez du erantzuten — nobody answers: the verb stays singular
- ezer eznothingLiterally 'anything not': ezer — 'anything'. Ezer ez da gertatu — nothing happened. Partner of inork ez — 'nobody'
- galduto misplaceThe same word as 'lose a game' — context splits them: losing here is a thing lost. You know pasaportea galdu — 'to lose the passport'
- berriz aurkitufind againLiterally 'to find anew': berriz — 'anew' + aurkitu — 'to find'. Lost and found — galdu eta berriz aurkitu
- utzileave (behind)A native word: to leave, abandon. Telefonoa etxean utzi dut — I left the phone at home. From it, utzi — 'to quit doing'
- hartupick upThe same word as 'take' — context splits them: picking up here is taking your own back. Paketea hartutzera noa — I'm going to pick up the parcel
- bueltatureturn (an item)A loan from Spanish volver (buelta), openly admitted. Returning here is handing a thing back: liburua bueltatuko dut — I'll return the book. Conversational
- ozenki zenbatucount aloudLiterally 'to count out loud': ozenki — 'aloud' (oze — 'voice') + zenbatu — 'to count'. Children count their steps aloud
- apuntatuwrite downA loan from Spanish apuntar, openly admitted. Writing down here is into a notebook, on a scrap: helbidea apuntatuko dut — I'll note the address
- sinatuto signFrom sinadura — 'signature': signing here is 'covering with the signature'. A document without a signature isn't paper: hemen sinatu, mesedez
- marratucross outFrom marra — 'stroke, line': crossing out is 'striking with a line'. Made a mistake in a list — don't tear the page: cross it out and write beside it
- zuzenducorrectThe same word as 'fix' and 'direct' — context splits them: correcting here is fixing a mistake. From zuzen — 'straight'
- puskatxoasmall pieceThe diminutive of puska — 'a broken-off bit'. A small piece here is a little-baby piece: ogi puskatxo bat — a small piece of bread
- xerrasliceA native word: ham, bread and cheese are cut xerratan — 'into slices'. Don't mix it with zerra — 'saw': one letter, two worlds
- laranja zatiaorange segmentLiterally 'orange's piece': zatia — 'piece'. A segment here is about fruit: oranges and mandarins come apart zatitan
- pitxikapinchRelated to pixka — 'a bit': a pinch here fits between the fingers. Recipes write gatz pitxika bat — a pinch of salt
- esku betehandfulLiterally 'hand full': esku — 'hand' + bete — 'full'. At the market they measure just so: mahats esku bete — a handful of grapes
- iruparagulpA native word: irupar; irupar egin — 'to gulp'. Ur irupar bat — a gulp of water — kills thirst on the road
- muitabunch (of herbs)A native word: a bunch, a sheaf — herbs are sold muitatan at the market. Perrexino muita bat — a bunch of parsley
- erdi kilohalf a kiloLiterally 'half of the kilogram': erdia — 'half' + kilo. After the number the article drops: erdi kilo tomate
- litro erdihalf a literLiterally 'liter in halves': litro — a borrowing that grew into a measure. Milk and oil often come in litro erdi bottles
- nahikoa dathat's enoughLiterally 'there is enough': nahikoa — 'enough' + da. Nahikoa da, eskerrik asko — enough, thanks: while the seller keeps piling it on
- Zenbat balio du kilo batek?how much per kilo?Literally 'how much does one kilogram have?': zenbat balio du — the price question from the basics. The kilo stands as the doer: kilo batek — 'the kilo itself' carries the price
- Deskonturik al dago?is there a discount?Literally 'is there discount?': -rik — the partial, al — the question spark. The discount takes a part away: deskontua
- Al daukazue...?do you have...?Polite 'have', to a you-many: daukazue — you have. The particle al makes the question: Al daukazue ogi freskoa?
- Hau hartuko dutI'll take this oneLiterally 'this I will take': hartu — 'take' + the future -ko. The decision at the counter: a finger on the goods — hau hartuko dut
- Poltsa bat behar dutI need a bagLiterally 'one bag I need': behar dut — 'I need'. Plastic costs money now, so they ask in advance
- Non dago kutxatila?where is the till?Literally 'where is the till?': non dago — 'where is it' from the basics. Kutxatila is both the till and the drawer: the place tells them apart
- Hori da guztiathat's allLiterally 'that is everything': guztia — 'all, the whole'. When the counter runs out — hori da guztia: the goods are listed and the talk is closed
- Efektiboan ala txartelaz?cash or card?Literally 'in cash or by card?': efektiboan — 'in cash', txartelaz — 'by card', the instrumental -z. Ala is the 'or' of questions
- Kambiorik ezkeep the changeLiterally 'no change': -rik — the partial + ez. You leave the coins with the seller and say kambiorik ez, eskerrik asko
- erosketen zerrendashopping listLiterally 'of-purchases list': erosketak — 'purchases' + zerrenda — 'a list of lines'. Without it, people get lost in the supermarket
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Zenbat balio du kafeak?How much is the coffee?
- Kafeak euro bat hogei balio duThe coffee costs one twenty
- Izkinako denda igandeetan irekiten daThe shop on the corner opens on Sundays
- Larunbatetan azokara noat fruta erosteraOn Saturdays I go to the market for fruit
- Arrainaren mahai-langa atzean dagoThe counter with fish is at the back
- Saltzaileak tomateak pisatzen dituThe seller is weighing tomatoes
What is worth knowing about these words
zenbat balio du? — how much is it?. Literally 'how much does it value?'. For several things the verb agrees with the goods: zenbat balio dute?
euroa — euro. Euro + the article. After a number the article vanishes: bi euro — two euros, not euroak
denda — shop. A native word, not the Spanish tienda. Denda txiki — a little shop: the country is fond of those
azoka — market. A covered market, a native word. Merkatua is from Spanish: both are in use, azoka is the people's one
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is zenbat balio du? — how much is it?.
- What is this word?
It is pisua — scale.
- What is this word?
It is merkea — cheap.
- What is this word?
It is Garestia da. — it's expensive.
- What is this word?
It is supermerkatua — supermarket.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “how much is it?” in Basque?
Literally 'how much does it value?'. For several things the verb agrees with the goods: zenbat balio dute?
- How do you say “scale” in Basque?
From pisatu — 'to weigh'. The same word means 'pressure': atmosfera-pisua — atmospheric pressure
- How do you say “cheap” in Basque?
Not from Spanish barato — from the traders' Latin merke. The pair garestia/merkea is the first thing in any shop
- How do you say “it's expensive” in Basque?
Assembled from garestia and da — 'is'. To boost it: garestiegia da — too expensive
- How do you say “supermarket” in Basque?
A borrowing, as elsewhere. The small shop around the corner is denda txikia — the country is fond of those
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
How much it costs, whether there is a smaller one, whether cards are accepted. A shop forgives mistakes: miss a word and they will show you the thing with their hands anyway.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “how much is it?” in Basque?
«zenbat balio du?» Literally 'how much does it value?'. For several things the verb agrees with the goods: zenbat balio dute? It is one of 94 words in the set “shopping and money” — the rest are in the table above.
How many shopping words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 94 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 94 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.